Merry Christmas and a Happy Boxing Day!

I love Christmas. The whole hustle and bustle thing, the excitement of children when they see Santa at the mall (or on a forklift at Walmart), the emails that circulate with stories that remind us of the true meaning of the holiday (as well as the ones with cartoon pics of Rudolph measuring Santa's behind to see if it will fit down the chimney), and the fact that people in general are kinder to each other. They'll hold the door for you in the store, strangers say Merry Christmas to you, and they cut you off, honk at you, steal your parking spot, and show you that certain finger less. My family had a very nice Christmas this year. My kids only woke up at 6:00am, which could have been worse. They seemed to really like their presents, and the items of clothing that need to be returned because they didn't fit are only numbered on one hand. Though I love the season, Christmas day wears on me a little bit. We have to rush around to parents and grandparents houses (some that live an hour and a half away) so we don't get much time to sit and enjoy the day and each other. It's hard to remember the true meaning of the day when your mind is completely filled with schedules of when you have to be everywhere. I always feel bad that our kids are shuffled around so much that they don't get to sit and play with their gifts until later. That's why I've adopted Boxing Day as my favorite holiday. Let me just say that the Canadians were total geniuses for coming up with this "holiday." Boxing Day is the day after Christmas and was meant to be a day off for the household help. Maids, butlers, etc. spend Christmas making sure that their bosses have a nice day, so December 26 is their day to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday with their own families. For the last couple of years on the day after Christmas, my kids and I spend the entire day in our pajamas and do nothing except play with the new gifts. I put together all the toys, we try out all the games, and we watch a couple of the new movies the kids got. We don't pick up anything, put anything away, and we certainly don't clean (my kids say that there's absolutely no shopping, either). I love sitting back and enjoying a little of the Christmas cheer we missed out on in the hustle of the day before. You might be wondering why I feel entitled to celebrate this day. Aren't we all who are mothers and housewives just like maids? Don't we all feel like unappreciated servants at times? So there you go. Boxing Day applies to us to... and even if it doesn't, I'm sure the Canadians don't mind sharing. So if any of you are in need of a new tradition, or just a wonderful excuse to relax, you might want to try it out next year. I hope you all are enjoying the holidays and wish everyone a Happy New Year!







P.S. This last pic is what happens after running around so much on Christmas day. We got to grandma's, sat Maycie down on the couch, and less than two minutes later, she ended up like this. Hopefully there's some sugar plums dancing around somewhere...

Dumb Mom

You know you're in the running for the Mother of the Year award when your one and a half year old puts herself to bed. I'm sitting here at the computer wondering why I can't hear Maycie playing anymore, and I look at the clock and think, "Oh my heck! How did it get to be so late so fast? Where did that kid go?" I thought I told her a few minutes ago to go get me her blankie and I'd rock her, but I'm now realizing that it's been a little longer than I thought (okay, quite a bit longer). I stop tapping the computer keys for a minute to listen, and I think that I can hear breathing coming from somewhere. I look around but can't see her anywhere, so I think I must be imagining it. I start tapping away again, but stop when I think I hear a sigh. This time I actually stand up to go search for my mischievous little Maycie and my foot touches something soft. I look down under my feet and see the sweetest little angel (aren't they all angels when they're sleeping?) curled up on her blankie under the computer desk, fast asleep. Yes, I have no idea how she got there. Yes, I feel like a big fat louse for neglecting her. Yes, I must be stupid or something for admitting this when everyone already thinks I'm a few tacos shy of a combo. But what the heck- it's just too cute and I can't resist posting the pics, even if they could be viewed as incriminating evidence. So you better hurry up and cast your ballots now folks- I'm closing in fast on the lead for that award.

Quirky Quirks

Hello again, it's time for another tag! (Thanks Kath and Selina!) I'm gonna try to be brief here (yeah, right) and get through it quickly. Kathleen's tag is the 6 quirks tag, and Selina's is the 7 crazy quirks tag. Since they are about the same, I'll combine them and save myself from trying to think up 13 quirks- though for those of you who know me, I am mostly made up of quirks. There's probably only 6 or 7 normal things about me! The rules go as follows: You post a link to the person's blog who tagged you, list 6 (or 7) quirks including habits or unusual things about yourself, tag 6 (or 7) people, and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they've been tagged. So let's go.

http://trentandkathbeardall.blogspot.com
http://selinaandcameron.blogspot.com

1. I'm OCD. I've mentioned this before, so I'll just leave it at that. If anyone is really interested in the details of this, they can check out my previous tag posts.

2. I can't not finish a book or movie, even if I think it's really stupid. Once I start one, I just have to know how it ends. I'll suffer through the most boring stuff just to not leave the story unfinished. It's also impossible for me to fall asleep during a movie, no matter how dumb it is or how tired I am. My brain just won't let me.

3. I buy things I really want and then never get around to using them. It's not like compulsive buying- I think about things and decide carefully before I make a purchase, and I'm usually happy with the decision. I just don't get around to putting things together, setting things up, or if it's something to wear, I'll save it for nice occasions because I want to keep it looking perfect. I know- it's stupid.

4. If my house starts to get really messy, I get overwhelmed and can't stand it. I'll leave and go somewhere just so I don't have to look at it, but then it just gets worse and I feel worse. When I finally build up enough drive to dive in, I can't stop for anything until it's done- if my kids are hungry, they'll just have to fend for themselves. If my hubby needs something, he'll just have to wait. Okay, I will take a break to go get a Pepsi. Oh, yeah- if anyone shows up at my door while I'm in cleaning mode, I'll hide stuff in the oven.

5. I comment during TV shows and movies. I can't help it, my inner thoughts just slip out. I do try to limit it to when there's no dialogue going on, though. Let's just say I had a field day during the Twilight movie! (p.s. I'm a freak about Twilight, so if anyone knocks the movie or any of it's characters in any way, you'll have to answer to me!!)

6. I stay up late almost every night. It doesn't matter how many times I've told myself to go to bed earlier, I just can't. Even if I'm tired, I find my second wind and can't seem to settle down till long past midnight. Maybe it's because that's the only time I have to myself, when everyone is asleep and it's quiet. I catch up on reading, my favorite shows I've missed, and blogging (of course)!

7. I'm a freak about jeans right now. I would have to say it's my newest obsession. I've gotten into googling different styles and finding them on the Internet. The more detail on the pockets, the better! I've found some really good deals on some cute brands, and my favorites list is miles long with fun stores and cool styles.

Lastly, we get to the tagging other people part. I'm not sure who's already done this one, so feel free to ignore this if you have. Jami E., Haley E., Sheri G., Angie J., Candace A., Melissa T., and Melissa O.- have fun!!